Here’s the key to coating strawberries in melted chocolate

Don’t get me wrong, strawberries are delicious on their own. There’s nothing quite like tasting a red berry so ripe that its juices run down your chin. However, there are few things in life that can’t be improved with a little chocolate to make the treat even more indulgent, and strawberries are one of the best flavor combinations in chocolate.

While chocolate-covered strawberries are often thought of as a strictly romantic treat reserved for Valentine’s Day, they’re actually super easy to make at home for your significant other, or even yourself, any time of year. There’s no shortage of ways to use up summer’s fresh berries, but chocolate-covered strawberries are one of the easiest and most delicious ways to eat them.

You’re just a few steps away from enjoying a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries whenever the craving strikes. It may seem like a minor detail, but making sure your strawberries are dry will make them look like they came from a professional chocolatier.

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How to Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It takes less than an hour to make chocolate-covered strawberries in your kitchen, and if you need to make a big batch for a party (or just to keep snacking on them), you can make them up to two days in advance.

For one pound of strawberries, which is usually about 20 good-sized berries, you’ll need four ounces of chocolate. Wash the berries and, as mentioned earlier, make sure they’re well dried. After you’ve cut the chocolate into small pieces, there are a few methods for melting it. One is to melt the chocolate in the microwave, heating it in a glass bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate is smooth. You can also place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, either metal or glass, and make a double boiler by placing the bowl over a pan of simmering water to let the steam gently melt the chocolate.

Once the chocolate is melted, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, and then you’re ready to dip. Simply pick up the berries by the stem, dip them in the chocolate (swirling to ensure full coverage), and place them on the parchment paper. All that’s left to do is refrigerate the berries to harden before enjoying. You can also try this recipe with milk, dark, or white chocolate, depending on your tastes.

The Importance of Drying Your Strawberries

Remember the importance of drying strawberries? It may not seem like such a crucial detail, but it ensures that the chocolate adheres to the strawberries and doesn’t slide off after it hardens. If you’ve ever had the chocolate shell break and fall off your strawberries when you took a bite, those strawberries weren’t completely dry. These little details make all the difference when it comes time to eat your strawberries. Moisture on the strawberries can also trap condensation and cause your strawberries to “sweat” as water pools on the surface of the chocolate, or, in the worst case scenario, the added moisture can cause your chocolate to set during dipping, making it gross and unusable.

Luckily, all you need is a good kitchen towel to ensure all the berries are perfectly dry. One thing I like to do in my kitchen when making chocolate covered strawberries is to leave the berries on a baking sheet for about an hour after washing and drying them to make sure any remaining moisture has evaporated.

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